Building Tour

Tour Introduction

The Judicial Department is one of the three branches of government in Alabama, the others being the
Executive and the Legislative. This building houses the Supreme Court, the Courts of Civil and
Criminal Appeals, the State Law Library, and the Administrative Office of Courts. It is the first
facility in the United States to house all of these entities under one roof.

The building occupies a full city block flanked by Dexter Avenue (north), McDonough Street (east),
Washington Street (south), and Hull Street (west). The block is approximately 300' wide and 320'
deep with a 47' grade change from its lowest point to its highest point. The building was designed
jointly by Barganier, Davis, Sims Architects Associated of Montgomery and Gresham, Smith, and
Partners of Birmingham.

The construction is concrete and steel. The design is neo-classical, featuring a dome and a
pediment with columns. The exterior is faced with natural Indiana limestone with monumental steps
like the ones gracing the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. The interior public
spaces are finished in Carrara marbles from Italy. The building design consists of approximately
338,000 gross square feet on seven levels.

There are 700 doors in the building with 6 keys for each door.

The Basement level includes central mechanical equipment and a staff garage.

The Ground Floor level includes the Administrative Office of Courts, the Museum of
Judicial History, and a visitor's parking garage.

The Main Lobby level is the main entry to the building. The Law Library and the Appellate
Court Clerks' Offices flank the two-story Rotunda space. On the south side of the Rotunda is
an outdoor landscaped courtyard.

The Second Floor houses the Courts of Civil and Criminal Appeals with their
courtrooms flanking the gallery level of the Rotunda.

The Mezzanine Floor houses conference rooms, the computer lab, and the archival area and storage.

The Third Floor (top floor) houses the Supreme Court, with the Justices' suites arranged around the perimeter.
The Supreme Court Courtroom beneath the great dome is directly over the Rotunda.

The space management consultant for the building was Michael Wong of Seattle, who plans judicial buildings
and projects such departmental needs far into the future.

The building's Indiana limestone is the same limestone that was used in the Empire State Building,
the National Cathedral, and the Pentagon. The building cost under $35 million, which, at under $100 per
square foot, is considerably less than comparable buildings elsewhere. This is approximately the same
amount as was spent on the restoration of the State Capitol. The Judicial Building was paid for by
the sale of bonds.

The 10 columns you pass when you enter the building are 6' in diameter, 49' tall, and made of solid limestone
from Indiana. They weigh approximately 75 tons each, which is approximately the weight of 15 African elephants.
The capitals are handcarved replicas of the Ionic order design found on the Roman Coliseum.